AN HOMAGE TO VINCENT VEGA, SEASON THREE, SCENE 89: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH: LINH

[Babypants]

On 5/8/2024 at 5:25 PM, CDfm said:

I believe that Rita and Vickie can pull the reigns on Sarah a little.  She can still be the house mom but just not take things to the extreme.

Sarah as their house mom?  That's an intriguing way to view this. especially with all the children they plan on having.  I want to give this one some thought.  Many thanks!

[Babypants]

Quickie historical quiz:

Although the legendary Pancho Villa was a teetotaler, one of Mexico's most highly regarded tequiias is named for his horse!  Would this be:

A.  Herradura

B.  Jimador

C.  Jose Cuervo

D.  Ocho

E.  Siete Leguas

[littlebopeeper]

On 5/10/2024 at 10:03 PM, Babypants said:

E.  Siete Leguas

Hilarious!  It's stunning enough to learn that Pancho Villa was a teetotaler, but to have a tequila named for the horse of a teetotaler is way beyond weird.

[Babypants]

On 5/8/2024 at 5:25 PM, CDfm said:

The second, even with the cat out of the bag they are all still in.  I really don’t think that Ian’s news is going to change how any of these women feel about him.

You will see Rita up close and much more personal in scene 57, and then again in the pivotal scene 58.  At this point in the story, Sarah is still unaware-- and she will remain so until scene 58.  

[Babypants]

INTERMISSION

“Good Morning, Bob Rowland, Sino-American Investments; how can I help you?”

“It's your father, Robert. I thought that I'd give you a call, see how things are going. How's the Korean coming along?”

“Hey, Dad, it's good to hear from you. Oh, and it's Japanese, not Korean.”

“My mistake. I do get them mixed up.”

“Now that we've got that cleared up, what's on today's agenda?”

“Two things. First, we have hard evidence that Songbird is in direct contact with Soviet intelligence, which is actively searching for the hatchlings. It is possible that they have positioned an asset near Songbird, but the finding lacks confidence. Eyes open, but do not jeopardize your cover.”

“Understood. We are approaching end of term; in three weeks, I will lose contact with Songbird until mid-January.”

“We are committing additional resources to your sector, which leads to the second item. It is now confirmed that Songbird and Scarecrow are intimate. We expect our brethren to activate the beta protocol within the next twenty-four hours. Do try not to stumble over their feet.”

“I'll do my best,” Rowland smiled. While the CIA had to work around its charter to engage in domestic operations, his own outfit suffered under no such constraints. Hidden in the budgetary shadows where funding took the preposterous form of six hundred dollar hammers and ten thousand dollar toilet seats, STD was merely the latest incarnation of an elite unit with a worldwide brief. In one form or another, it had been around for years, plugging the glaring hole that had emerged in the postwar intelligence superstructure.

And, for a time, Songbird had been at once its most colorful and valuable asset-- the glue that held a multilingual unit together. The unit was dismantled when it became clear that Songbird would never return to the field, and the whole department got flushed less than two years later. But like a Phoenix risen from the ashes …

“The description was generic,” Rowland went on to say, “but last night Songbird showed up on the local news … decorated, now crippled war hero. Sir, if the local press finds out about his daughter, odds are the story will go national; romance and tragedy make the news go round.”

“Give me a heads up if it happens … highest priority. I don't want to reinforce the security detail … the island is a black hole in our budget … but ...”

“I understand, Sir, but the girl is worth her weight in gold … her weight, and then some.”

Rowland, code name Mister Pink, had spent a year on the island in a supervisory capacity. Remote, wind and storm swept, the abandoned Air Force radar installation had been home to the project for the past five years. No one could approach it by sea or by air, and as best they knew, no one had ever tried.

“True. Now, moving on … give me an update on Eagle, Bluebird, and Owl. We're getting nothing useful on the tapes.”

“Nothing to report on this end, either. Scarecrow is cozying up to Spitfire, but whether or not she is jockeying for leverage over Bluebird is unclear. There is a lot of recent activity at the Eagle's nest … furniture deliveries, for the most part. Purpose still indeterminate.”

“Songbird has a meeting in the works with the Soviets in Athens, date yet to be decided. The Agency wants hard intel on Teheran, but it's the Russians who are pressing, and no one has a clue. It smells like horse trading, but the brethren are keeping their cards close to the chest.”

“Makes sense. I'll talk to the Professor after class … find out whether he'll be holding office hours over the term break, that sort of thing. Maybe I can get a sense of his timetable.”

“The brethren are getting nervous. He's rejected a mission to Poland, and he's ignoring overtures for another round of camel races in the Libyan wastes. Songbird knows everybody, and our colleagues have no backups to plug the holes when he calls it quits.”

“Funny about that. But falling in love does tend to have an effect on one's priorities.”

“Yeah. Keep on top of the goings on at Eagle's nest. If Songbird is moving in, security will soon be cluttering up the premises. Observe and evaluate, but again, do not risk your cover. He poses no immediate threat, and the Deputy Director can't sneeze without me holding a hankie to his nose. We've got it covered on this end; your job is to make sure that we have no nasty surprises out there.”

Rowland stayed on the line until he heard the click, then he quietly hung up. If Langley was going to beef up its presence and his own department was sending reinforcements, the chances were good that someone would slip up and give the game away. The Professor was nobody's fool, and he was far too experienced an operative to be rendered deaf, dumb and blind as a consequence of falling in love.

And God help the agent who makes the mistake of underestimating Songbird because of the diapers. Said agent will be returning home in a body bag.

Bob actually liked Songbird, who was a first-class teacher. But there was no room for sentimentality in his business, and the man was a threat of the highest order. It was very much to be hoped, therefore, that a fatal accident was at least in the planning stages. One of STD's predecessors had staged a drunk driving incident to eliminate Songbird's parents, and it seemed like a scenario that could be used to sanction him as well. After all, Songbird did like to drink ...

To excess.

[kerry]

Not what I expected at all...

[Babypants]

In keeping with Bluebird67's reference to dramatis personae, readers may find the following useful in this scene:

Bluebird  Victoria Robinson

Eagle  Rita Stevenson

Owl  Sarah Haikonnen

Raven  Sofia Haikonnen

Scarecrow  Priscilla Canon

Songbird  Ian Grady

Spitfire  Suzie Marshall

[Bluebird67]

6 hours ago, Babypants said:

Owl Sarah Haikonnen

Should that be “Raven”?

it looks as if Scarecrow got her code name before they guessed she would get lovey-dovey with Songbird. Also, was Bluebird seen as his natural partner from the start?

[Babypants]

19 hours ago, Bluebird67 said:

Should that be “Raven”?

it looks as if Scarecrow got her code name before they guessed she would get lovey-dovey with Songbird. Also, was Bluebird seen as his natural partner from the start?

Priscilla is code named Scarecrow because both protect.  In many cultures, the Bluebird symbolizes happiness or joy.  Although we now know what lurks behind the facade, from a distance Vickie looks to have taken life by the throat and squeezed it dry.  You may also see this as a clue that the people who massacred Ian's family do not have anyone inside the hospital gathering intelligence.  Marge gets a pass on this one!

The Raven will appear in due course.  I saved that one for Sofia.  Thanks, as always, for a thoughtful comment.

[Bluebird67]

On 5/14/2024 at 10:49 PM, Babypants said:

True. Now, moving on … give me an update on Eagle, Bluebird, and Raven. We're getting nothing useful on the tapes.”

This is why I thought Raven was Sarah. You might want to edit it. Having said that, so far it looks as if Owl-Sofia and Raven-Sarah might be more apt, given that, although Sofia had a somewhat extreme relationship with her husband, there’s no evidence yet of her not understanding the meaning of informed consent.

[Babypants]

14 hours ago, Bluebird67 said:

This is why I thought Raven was Sarah. You might want to edit it. Having said that, so far it looks as if Owl-Sofia and Raven-Sarah might be more apt, given that, although Sofia had a somewhat extreme relationship with her husband, there’s no evidence yet of her not understanding the meaning of informed consent.

Having been born and raised in SoCal, I knew nothing about wildlife when I came up to Minnesota, but living along a lakeshore in a semiforested town in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, I've learned.  From a pregnant raccoon trying to nest in the attic to deer (plural) bedding down for the night in our flower beds, I've seen a lot (and don't get me started on the foxes and coyotes prowling around the yard at 6 AM).  Ravens are among the most intelligent creatures on earth; they test as well as chimps and dolphins.  They are very family oriented, and form lasting friendships with others not in their flock.  In contrast, owls are apex predators, and by our standards quite cruel.  Notably, they delight in taking their prey alive and swallowing it whole.  So, the owl seemed like a good choice for Sarah, and the raven for Sofia.  Perhaps the wisdom of the raven will override the cruelty of the owl when Sofia visits, and gets a first hand look at the lay of the land.  We shall see.

[littlebopeeper]

Didn't see this one coming!  Surprised that no one has commented that the bad guys also think that Ian has a problem with the booze.  Makes me wonder what could happen after the drinking contest coming up in a few more scenes.  

[Babypants]

On 5/18/2024 at 10:59 PM, littlebopeeper said:

Surprised that no one has commented that the bad guys also think that Ian has a problem with the booze.

Good catch.  I put this at the very end of the scene in the hope that readers would connect it to the much earlier argument where Rita diagnoses Ian as an alcoholic, and he vehemently denies it.

[Guilend]

7 minutes ago, Babypants said:

Good catch.  I put this at the very end of the scene in the hope that readers would connect it to the much earlier argument where Rita diagnoses Ian as an alcoholic, and he vehemently denies it.

I noticed it, but it was so obvious to me I didn't think to comment on it 😂. But I did laugh and think he'll be surprised to learn that Ian has a strict mommy that keeps him away from booze 😂 

[Babypants]

10 hours ago, Guilend said:

I noticed it, but it was so obvious to me I didn't think to comment on it 😂. But I did laugh and think he'll be surprised to learn that Ian has a strict mommy that keeps him away from booze

Muchas gracias!  Because those scenes played out almost a year ago, I wasn't sure that anyone would remember-- continuity is a huge problem in the serial manner in which we tend to write around here.  That's why comments are so important. 

Since Ian is going to get smashed on Thursday night, and Vickie with him, think of Sarah as the Grand Moff Tarkin, Vickie as Princess Leia, and Ian as Han Solo.  Hey, Moff!  The  more you squeeze, the more star systems will slip through your fingers!

And now is as good a time as any to warn people that Sofia, aka Raven, is not who you think she is.   

[CDfm]

I know I had responded to this chapter earlier but I must have not ensured it went through. 
This chapter opened my eyes a little.  I guess I didn’t realize the importance that has been placed on not only Ian but his daughter. I knew that several different agencies were involved in the search for his daughter but they seem to be much more interested in him. They seem to think that should he have a relationship with someone they will no longer have any support from him. That could get very scary for him. 
I will be looking forward to seeing more. 

[Babypants]

ANNOUNCEMENT:  in response to requests, I have begun forwarding packages of scenes to Mike to post as a story uninterrupted by comments in the other stories venue.  The first 4 scenes are up, and Mike has 5-17 in hand, ready to go when he finds the time.  The rest of the first season (scenes 18-41) will follow.

[Babypants]

On 5/23/2024 at 12:56 AM, CDfm said:

 I guess I didn’t realize the importance that has been placed on not only Ian but his daughter. I knew that several different agencies were involved in the search for his daughter but they seem to be much more interested in him. They seem to think that should he have a relationship with someone they will no longer have any support from him. That could get very scary for him.

Thanks!  You are definitely on the right track here, as you will learn in scene 58, when Becky puts all of the pieces together.  And there is a very particular reason why Mr. Pink wants Ian dead.  Suffice it to say that his agency head (Mr. Black) is under a certain amount of pressure to do the hit, the argument being that Linh is the real deal and therefore Songbird now offers more risk than tangible reward.  

[littlebopeeper]

On 5/17/2024 at 2:10 AM, Bluebird67 said:

although Sofia had a somewhat extreme relationship with her husband, there’s no evidence yet of her not understanding the meaning of informed consent.

Sorry that I missed this earlier because yours is an interesting take.  When Sofia described her relationship with her late husband, I read it as a Captain/First Mate D/s relationship.  But Sarah seems to be forging a Master/Slave relationship with Ian, and a Caretaker/Little relationship with Vickie.  I get the feeling that she doesn't know what she's doing because her mother hasn't taught her diddly squat.  

[Babypants]

22 hours ago, littlebopeeper said:

I get the feeling that she doesn't know what she's doing because her mother hasn't taught her diddly squat.  

I get that feeling too, and I'm the author!  Sofia will be there on Saturday night, courtesy of Bob's private plane (which will get a work out at story's end); Can she get her daughter on track, or will she lose Ian?

[Babypants]

ENTR' ACTE

“What's up with Loretta? She's definitely off her feed.”

Foregoing the chair permanently parked in front of the Chief's desk, Herb Canon sank into the couch against the far wall with a long, slow sigh.

“Unlikely,” Chief Thornquist observed. “I have never known Miss Carlson to be off her feed.”

“Yeah? Walt, she smiled at me on the way in; honest to God, she smiled at me!”

“Probably setting you up to ask for Priscilla's autograph,” the Chief smirked. “Now that she's a celebrity, and all.”

“It was just a cameo appearance,” Herb protested.

“That damned Emmett Bailey,” he muttered under his breath.

“I heard that,” Walt barked. “Bailey wants to interview Pris and Julia, both … the mother/daughter tag team that nabbed the notorious diaper thieves terrorizing Minneapolis and the suburbs. He's angling for a live broadcast … the Sunday morning time slot right before Meet the Press.”

“Oh, God,” Herb groaned; “what next?”

“So, Q-Ball called me last night-- after he got off the phone with Walt Mischof. Our esteemed District Attorney dropped Grady's name into the conversation … wanted to know what I knew.”

“What did you say?”

“As little as possible. Just a summary of the phone call I had yesterday morning with Fart, Barf, and Itch. Q-Ball got the message, and hop scotched it over to the sorority house. That's all I know.”

“Julia was present for the whole shebang. Basically, Grady told the DA how it was going to go down, and made it clear that he would deal with Spats Belmondo, thank you very much. He softened the blow with a vague promise to lubricate Ballstrom's run for higher office. Apparently, Gareth left the room a lot happier than when he walked in.”

“Figures,” the Chief laughed. “So, what happened in court? Who drew the ticket?”

“Tom Reynolds.”

“Who lives just down the street from you. Small world.”

“And Spats dropped by, with his mouthpiece and that Toothpick Charlie character … never can recall his real name.”

“Just a face in the crowd,” Walt snickered. “Did Grady get what he wanted?”

“Yeah … complete with a one on one with Belmondo in the Judge's chambers while the rest of us stood around and looked dumb. I'm glad Bailey wasn't there for that one!”

“Friendly conversation, you think?”

“Looked like it, but I hope to find out more tonight.”

“Now, that's quite a teaser!”

“Priscilla, Grady, Doctor Robinson, and some hospital guy named Amos Waring are challenging our guys to a drinking contest. Tequila shots, no less. Priscilla wants me to put in an appearance, and for the two of us to get drunk and do a little male bonding. Julia's planning to come along to pick up the pieces and put everybody to bed, which could be a trace awkward since Pris and Grady are sleeping together.”

“WHAT?” The Chief bounded out of his chair. “Say that again!”

“Yep. Madly in love, and hoping to have a baby … this, with a guy she first met on Monday morning. But Julia says that it's the real deal, and we have to go with it. After what went down in the sorority last night, she's become one of Grady's biggest fans.”

“Dear God! And Amos Waring is mixed up in this?”

“Yeah. Why? Do you know him?”

“You don't? My God, Herb; down in the Third, the guy's a demigod. He beaten up so many pinball machines in the Lake Street bars that the boys periodically pass the hat to raise money to repair the damage. He's serious competition!”

“Duly noted … and I'll see what I can find out about Spats. After what Priscilla told us over breakfast, the odds are that Grady has taken him off the board.”

“Why do I get the feeling,” the Chief observed as he settled back into his chair, “that we're now getting to the good part.”

“Yeah. Grady's CIA all right, and get this … he picked up the phone, called someone high up the food chain, and presto! Priscilla's got a slot at Quantico waiting for her-- the embassy security course, no less. The plan is to have her head up the security detail that is going to be protecting Grady's wife, girlfriends, and above all else, any children born into this oddball household of theirs. Walt, we are going to be drowning in Stepford husbands, and wives!”

“But why?” The Chief got up, and started to walk back and forth in the limited confines of his office. He liked to think on his feet, and what Herb Canon was laying out for him was an intricate puzzle that, so far, didn't make much sense.

“Why,” he repeated.

“Yeah.” Herb paused to rub his eyes, then his forehead. He badly wished that Julia was in the room.

“This is all second hand, you understand. What Priscilla and Julia learned last night … what the whole sorority and a bunch of campus cops heard … is that Grady had a wife and daughter in Viet Nam, but while he was in the hospital, someone raided their village and massacred everyone except the babies and little children. His wife … his whole family except for his daughter … they're all dead. What Grady and his buddies back east think is that someone is hoping to cash in if it turns out that she's inherited his gift for languages-- cash in, big time.”

“And I take it that we're not talking about My Lai here?” In the Chief's mind, the pieces were beginning to come together.

“No. They've kept the lid on this one, and with good reason. Walt, if his daughter … if he has more kids … can you see where this is going? The Agency will want them to pick up where he leaves off ...”

“The perfect spies … raised from birth to do the Agency's bidding. Now, it makes sense.”

Walt Thornquist walked behind his desk, but he did not sit down. Opening a bottom drawer, he withdrew a bottle of aged Scotch. He poured two fingers into a pair of glasses sitting on the window ledge, and held one out to Herb.

“There's a part of my conversation with Fart, Barf, and Itch that I most definitely did not share with Q-Ball,” Thornquist reluctantly admitted. “And remember, this guy was the head honcho in Counterintelligence.”

Herb looked at him, knowing that a very hard punch was about to land.

“I was told … bluntly told … that if Grady suddenly begins to rack 'em and stack 'em, we are to observe, but not to interfere. Hell, I got the distinct impression that if Grady needs a quick reload, we're supposed to help him out. Then, when the dust settles, I pick up the phone, call a certain number, and order up a disposal unit. Apparently, it's on permanent standby.”

“And here I thought that the Agency's charter prohibited domestic operations. Silly me.”

“Yeah.” The Chief swirled the scotch around in his glass, and then suddenly gulped it down. “Remember Jack Ruby?”

“Sure. Talk about amateur hour. They must have been desperate.”

“Langley and the Mafia have been in bed for a long time, maybe from the beginning. So be careful when you talk with Grady about Spats. I'm thinking that, whatever's going down, we're probably better off not knowing the details.”

“Walt, we're talking about my daughter here-- and maybe about my grandchildren.”

“I know,” Thornquist acknowledged. “And, if it comes to it, we'll do whatever we have to do to protect our own.”

. . . .

“Janis, we have to stop meeting like this,” Ian laughed. “People are going to talk!”

Freshly diapered and arm in arm with Vickie and Priscilla, Ian was en route to Rita's office when he nearly collided with Rita and Janis in the corridor.

Rita eyed the makeshift diaper bag slung over Priscilla's shoulder, “Did you get what you needed,” she asked.

Priscilla nodded. “For now, but if we are going to go on using these hospital diapers, we'll need a more reliable supply.”

“Agreed, but things should get a lot easier once Ian moves in with me. I'll bring some more to the bar … say around eight?”

“Seven would be better; I'm treating Ian to his first Juicy Lucy, complete with gourmet fries and onion rings. It would be nice if you could join us.”

“Thank you; I'd like that.”

“Uh … excuse me, but do you two know each other?” Ian would have sworn that he had yet to perform the introductions.

“Only by reputation,” Priscilla smiled. “My Dad thinks the world of Doctor Stevenson.”

“He's a fine officer.” Rita smiled in turn. “And I'm hearing a lot of good things about his daughter.”

The two women shook hands, and then Rita stepped back and gave the trio the once over.

“So, are you also going to be moving in with us?”

Seeing that Vickie and Priscilla had already come to some kind of agreement, Rita chose to be diplomatic.

“Not right away.” Ian wanted to nip this particular conversation in the bud. “Rita, I have a lot of explaining to do ...”

“We're going to use the conference room. Becky is rounding up the whole team, and Janis and I will join you as soon as she is properly diapered, complete with locking cover. She'll leave one key for Marcia, and you'll have the other three. Have you … uh … have you and the sorority house mom figured out how you are going to change so many diapers? During the day, when they're not here, your forty-one newly adopted daughters must be spread out all over the campus.”

“I'm not going to be changing them!” Ian held up his hands in protest. “But you're right. Bernice and I have discussed this, and she pretty much told me that she would take care of it. Works for me!”

“Figures,” Vickie chortled. “Another dad in the making who thinks that changing diapers is strictly women's work.”

Ian flinched, involuntarily closing his eyes to keep the pain at bay. The memories … holding his daughter in his arms … the memories were still so intense.

Priscilla gripped his arm more tightly, and Janis paled, her eyes filled with pity, knowing how much he was hurting.

Rita stepped back, staring at him. Her arm came up, and then fell limply to her side before she could reach out to comfort him. Vickie, she reminded herself, had yet to hear the story, and could not possibly know how deeply such passing comments might wound.

“Ian, when Becky showed me the photograph, the psychiatrist in me fled the room. Maybe my feelings for you are getting in the way, clouding my professional judgment, but all I want to do right now is take you in my arms and somehow make all this pain go away.”

Rita swept the back of her hand across her eyes, wiping away the tears that had finally started to fall.

“Right now, Candy is wrapping up a morning group for abused women. It's her specialty, although all of us have led these sessions at one time or another. They're heartbreaking, and they always run long because there's so much pain finally coming out into the open. But none of us … none of us ...”

Rita slowly, slowly reached out to grasp his arm. “None of us,” she choked, “have ever sat down with a parent who's … who's … child has been taken. I don't know what to do, or say ...”

“Rita?” Vickie's eyes bulged as she began to glimpse the truth. She had known Rita for more than ten years, and not once had she ever seen her friend cry. Not once had she so completely lost her composure.

Standing so close to him, her arm still wrapped in his, Vickie could feel Ian shaking, his eyes once more tightly shut to ward off the pain.

In vain. Inside his mind, it was like a slide show, one brightly lit image yielding to the next. His wife and child.

Inside Janis, something snapped. Shrieking, she collapsed into Rita's arms, Rita instinctively hugging the distraught child close, trying to shield her from the awful realization that the monsters lurking in the deepest recesses of the human imagination turned out, far too often, to be only too real.

Two orderlies, responding to her cries, rushed down the corridor.

. . . .

“Mission accomplished?” Suzie looked up from the mass of paperwork scattered across her desk as Wendy Stafford slid into a chair opposite her.

“Mission accomplished,” Wendy confirmed.

“Any pushback?”

“None. All the other house moms I spoke with will follow your lead, no questions asked. Professor Grady is now off limits.”

“Good … that's good to know.”

Suzie leaned back in her chair, gazed up at the ceiling, and briefly shut her eyes. In the cold light of morning, nothing had changed. Ian's casual admission that he had been ready to die on that long ago, far off battlefield had rocked her to her core. For the first time in her life, she had been brought face to face with the cold, hard truth: war was not a movie or a TV show but real life, with real, enduring consequences for good people.

And it had felt wonderful to cradle him in her arms and hold the baby bottle to his lips. With a house full of teenage girls to shepherd through college, year after year the hard work of guiding them into adulthood had satisfied her maternal urges. She had never met the right man, and had given little if any thought to having children of her own. Until now. Without warning, holding Ian in her arms had triggered something dormant deep inside her. Quite simply, she wanted to have a baby. And she knew exactly who she wanted the father to be. The problem was, he was already spoken for, and many times over. What to do?

“The sheets were a little wet this morning,” Wendy confessed, bringing Suzie out of her reverie. “I think I need that heavy diaper Professor Grady wears,” she added, “ the one from the hospital. Do you think we could buy some?”

“I'll ask Vickie … er … Doctor Robinson, to put me in touch with their purchasing department. But for now, what we'll do is line your adult diaper with baby diapers. They'll give you the extra absorbency you need, although the added bulk may take some getting used to.”

“Anything's better than a wet bed! And Miss Marshall? What are we going to do to help ZAP? I heard that they're losing about a dozen members; can the house survive this?”

“I'm not sure, Wendy; I'm not sure at all.” Suzie knew that she would have to have this conversation with Bernice at some point during the day.

“I have a suggestion.”

“Go on,” Suzie encouraged. She was intrigued to learn what Wendy had in mind.

“Suppose … since all the girls staying in the house are going to be kept in diapers ...”

“Where did you hear that,” Suzie asked sharply.

“The girls who are bailing are telling everyone what happened last night. It's all up and down the Row … about the diapers, I mean, and what happened to Professor Grady out there … his wife being murdered and his baby kidnapped ...”

“WHAT?” Suzie came halfway out of her chair.

“YOU DON'T KNOW?” Wendy was equally stunned. “But I thought that … I thought that you knew.”

“No,” Suzie admitted. “No, I didn't.” Her planned conversation with Bernice Miller had suddenly taken on new urgency.

“I'm sorry; maybe I spoke out of turn.” Wendy was staring at the floor, retreating into her shell.

“It's all right, Wendy … and thank you for telling me. Now, let's get back to your suggestion.”

Suzie could see Wendy withdrawing into herself, and she wanted to prevent it from happening.

“Since all the girls in the house are going to be kept in diapers,” Wendy repeated, “suppose that we transferred all the sorority girls who still wet the bed to ZAP. We could get everyone who wears diapers under one roof, and maybe there are enough girls like me that we could make good their losses … keep the house financially afloat.”

“You'd do that, Wendy? Leave PISS to help a rival house?”

“I don't want to leave, Miss Marshall, because I really like it here! But I'll do it, if that's what it takes to save their house!”

Suzie was dumbfounded, and found herself literally at a loss for words. It took her several seconds to come up with a response, and it was heartfelt.

“Wendy? Over the years, I've watched hundreds of girls come and go. But if I could adopt only one girl to be my daughter, it would be you. I am so proud of you … so really, really proud. I'll take this up with Bernice, and with the other house moms. We are not going to let ZAP fall by the wayside. That won't happen. I promise you: that won't happen.”

. . . .

Vickie had the presence of mind to hold up her hand, and halt the orderlies in mid-stride.

“We're good,” she yelled out; “we're good.”

Still hugging Janis. Rita caught Priscilla's eye. “I think that you should take charge,” she said. “Go with Vickie. If you need to make calls, there's a phone in the conference room. We can put it on speaker, if you think anyone out there needs to listen in. I'll take care of Janis.”

“Maybe I ...”

“No, Ian. I want you to go with Vickie and Priscilla … please. I'll take care of Janis.”

Ian nodded, slowly and reluctantly, his concern for the girl trumping his anguished memories.

The two parties went their separate ways, Ian looking back over his shoulder, wanting assurance that Janis would be okay.

“All right.”

Rita patted the changing table. All of the supplies that she would need were in the supply room next door.

“I want you to get undressed, then crawl up on the table and wait for me. It's diaper time, and I'll just need a moment to collect what we need.”

She dashed out the door without a backward glance, and returned just as Janis was draping her dress over the lone chair in the room. She waited for the girl to lay down, and then got to work.

“You surprised me, Janis.” She had slid the heavy diaper under the girl's behind, and was busily coating her skin with baby powder. “What was that all about?”

“When I was twelve, there was a little girl … nine years old? She lived a couple of streets over, went out to play in the front yard, and was never seen again. And now, I can't even remember her name. It's as if she never existed.”

“It could have been me,” Janis shivered. “It could have been me. And now, no one would remember me. It would be like I never existed … no one would care!!”

Janis broke down, and started bawling. Once she started, she couldn't stop.

Rita pulled the diaper into place, and pinned it snugly. Then she began to work the baby pants up Janis' legs.

“Lift your bum,” she commanded.

Janis obeyed, and Rita wrestled the vinyl cover over the thick diaper. It took but a few more moments for the heavy diaper cover to complete the ensemble. When the lock clicked into place, Janis didn't even notice.

Rita helped her to sit up, but she did not let go of Janis' hands. If anything, she tightened her grip.

“It would have been eight years ago that Ian's daughter went missing,” she murmured. “Do you think that he's forgotten her? Do you think that your parents would forget you? Or would they go on, day after day after day, suffering the pain that poor man bears? Is there anything worse than losing a child?”

“I guess not,” Janis whimpered, her eyes red and swollen.

“We're going to talk about this,” Rita added as she squeezed Janis's hands, wanting to offer her reassurance. “And about how complicated your life has just become, because that man loves you. In a very real sense, you are what he has been searching for all these years.”

Rita urged Janis to her feet, and reached for her dress. For her part, Janis was wiggling her hips, trying to get used to the unusual bulk between her legs.

“In the beginning, you'll waddle like a toddler,” Rita warned, “but you'll get the hang of it soon enough. And you'll also soon discover that wearing your toilet around your waist has its advantages. At least, I'm assuming that the ladies rooms on campus are still the pig sties of old.”

“They're gross,” Janis agreed, “and I won't miss them!”

“Okay. Finish getting dressed, and dry your eyes. It's time for us to learn the truth.”

Arm in arm, Rita and Janis headed back down the corridor, for what in her heart Rita sensed would be her date with destiny.

[CDfm]

Once again I was somewhat impressed with the level of importance the community seems to have placed on Ian. It’s actually quite impressive. 
I know that the majority of his future family have much to learn and apparently they will still need to be concerned about other women who want to join in the action.  This story is getting to the point that it shames any soap opera going.  Love it!

 I am looking forward to seeing more. 

[Babypants]

19 hours ago, CDfm said:

Once again I was somewhat impressed with the level of importance the community seems to have placed on Ian. It’s actually quite impressive. 
I know that the majority of his future family have much to learn and apparently they will still need to be concerned about other women who want to join in the action.  This story is getting to the point that it shames any soap opera going.  Love it!

Soap opera here and slapstick comedy there ... never mind the wood chipper.  Single, childless, professional women aged 30-34 offer a wealth of possibilities for any author of fiction.  But as we shall see in subsequent scenes, Ian and his family are symbolic on more than one level for his contemporaries, especially in the medical community.  Always remember that this story is set in 1979-- and at this point Doctor Without Borders has only been around for a few years.  

[littlebopeeper]

On 5/28/2024 at 3:40 PM, Babypants said:

“We're going to talk about this,” Rita added as she squeezed Janis's hands, wanting to offer her reassurance. “And about how complicated your life has just become, because that man loves you. In a very real sense, you are what he has been searching for all these years.”

Really intense chapter.  The interplay between Rita and Ian, and Rita and Janis, delivers a very hard emotional punch.  Janis is one of your best characters, a late adolescent lost at sea.  Can't wait to see her reaction to the Circle.

[Babypants]

On 6/1/2024 at 10:22 AM, littlebopeeper said:

Really intense chapter.  The interplay between Rita and Ian, and Rita and Janis, delivers a very hard emotional punch.  Janis is one of your best characters, a late adolescent lost at sea.  Can't wait to see her reaction to the Circle.

Many thanks for the compliment.  i hope that these scenes show Janis and Tippi as complex young women struggling to make the leap from adolescence to adulthood.  In their diapered state, sorority life is about to become a whole, new adventure!